In gas turbines, particularly in aircraft engines, there are a number of application cases which require sealing off two parts one of which rotates relative to the other, namely a stator and a rotor of the gas turbine, from the gas flow streaming through the gas turbine. An example of such an application case is the sealing of a gap formed between the stator's stationary guide vanes and a rotor of an aircraft engine.
Brush seals are known from the related art for sealing annular gaps between assemblies that are rotating relative to one another. Brush seals of this kind are known, for example, from the German Patent Application DE 196 28 559 A1 or DE 101 22 732 A1.
The above brush seals known from the related art are formed from a plurality of wire-type bristles which are wound around a core element and are fixed thereto by a clamping ring. Under the related art, the unit including the clamping ring, core element and bristles, which makes up the actual brush seal, is arranged in a receiving space which is delimited by a stiffening ring, the stiffening ring being positioned between two guide elements, and the stiffening ring and the guide elements being joined to one another by at least one rivet.
From the related art, it is also known to design brush seals of this kind to be spoke-centered, bearings having a translational degree of freedom ensuring the spoke-type centering action. Bearings of this kind are formed in accordance with the related art by slide elements, in particular slide blocks, a slide block engaging in a corresponding slot. The spoke-type centering action makes it possible to better compensate for relative, thermally induced dimensional variations between the coaxially arranged components that are to be sealed off from one another—thus between the stator and rotor.
In accordance with the related art, the slide elements, in particular the slide blocks, are designed as separate assemblies. The slide blocks are joined to the stiffening ring by rivets, for example. When the slide blocks are riveted onto the stiffening ring, substantial manufacturing tolerances result, ultimately leading to a poor concentricity of the brush seal. In addition, a substantial outlay for assembly or manufacturing is entailed in fastening the slide blocks using rivets. Moreover, adequate space must be provided on the stiffening element for placing the riveted joints which are used in accordance with the related art for riveting on the slide blocks. This leads to an increase in the overall radial height of the seal arrangement, thereby limiting its scope of application and thus applicability.